Wednesday, 31 August 2016

I don't know about you, but my stash has once again reached epic proportions! It's out of hand. There's just so much lovely fabric out there and I get all tempted and then, I just look at my shelves and wonder what to do with it all.

Well, about 6 months ago I decided to start a kind of 'ever growing' block that I would just keep adding to. The idea was similar to a crochet granny square that just keeps going. You may recognize this picture, I've been working on my star blocks for over 6 months. Just a few pieces whenever I had 30 free minutes or so. I've really enjoyed combining all the fabrics and then using a bit from one star in the next star - so that although they are all different, they're all connected.

When I saw how gorgeous the star blocks were, I forgot all about my initial 'ever growin' and started making star busting squares. And let me tell you, they're addictive. I am now just 3 short for my quilt top. So whilst I wait for the wedding Coutil fabric to arrive, I am making these last three. I aim to pull it all together and have another quilt top done before the wedding dress is done. This quilt will be for my living room, and I've selected fabrics that match the leather in there and just 'fit' in. I'm so happy with the progress.

You may have noticed that I've been putting out patterns more regularly just recently. It's all in an attempt to clear up my design folio and clear the desks for even more adventure ahead. This weekend I will be releasing my Stash Busting Star Quilt, so if the idea appeals, stay tuned for the design ;)

Tuesday, 30 August 2016

If you follow my Instagram account, you might remember that I shared an image from Simply Moderne magazine featuring Luke Haynes. What really captivated me was his shirt, I instantly thought it was just the thing for my DH, so I ordered the sunglasses fabric in both blue and pink. I know, I know - I have so much fabric in my stash that it seems ridiculous to keep looking for excuses to buy more, but sometimes inspiration just strikes!

First thing I had to do was draft a pattern for my DH from one of his old shirts. He was due for a clear out anyhow, so I picked a shirt I knew fit well and set about copying the pattern on my pattern board.

Next was deciding on the inside cuff fabric. Luke used a kind of brick fabric which I couldn't find, so I raided my stash...

I quite likes this cat print, but was pretty sure my DH would draw the line at cats, eventually I settled on a black and white mottled print which I forget to photograph.

Then I ironed down the shirt standard fusible,

'fussy' cutting to get the best coverage of the sunglass pictures

And then it was time to start sewing the shirt together

It may seem odd to be sewing a shirt when I have a wedding dress to make, but I'm the kind of person who ordinarily prefers to go at my own slow pace - but only really performs when under pressure. It's just how it is. If the wedding dress wasn't a pressing emergency, I wouldn't have made this shirt for another 6 months (and I still have alterations waiting on WIP chair). It's just the way I work.

Just like the mannequin before it, I gave away my favourite over-locker last year. I was sure I would never need it again. I didn't fancy unpacking the spare in the garage and dusting it off and fine tuning it, so I french seamed the shirt instead.

I'm a stickler for good collars and cuffs and these are two details me eyes always draw to, so I made sure they were nice and even (you can see the cuff fabric I opted for in the inside collar)

Looking good, if I do say so myself..

Then I lined the button side with a strip of navy blue and stitched down the buttons

Voila! It's done

Now that I am looking at it, I think the cuff needs another button which I will add. But that's a minor detail. I'm very happy to have completed the shirt and am wondering if I really do want a matching one in pink? The idea really pickled me at first, but I don't like the pink anymore - it's too pink for me and I actually think it's a masculine kind of pink (if that makes any sense) so I don't know what I'll do with it. I may yet change my mind.

Sunday, 28 August 2016

Oh yes, I'm on a roll! Talk about busy - shirts, quilts, wedding dress... and now another quilt pattern. I love releasing my patterns, it feels so good to 'liberate' them from my design books out into the world.

When I designed Dorothea, I had a romantic vision of naïve flowers scattered across windy hilltops. I love the simple reoccurring flower motifs ..and the possibility of extending this wall quilt into a bed quilt with the addition of lots of windmill blocks was irresistible.

The pattern is for both styles - the wall quilt and bed quilt , so you don't have to choose between them.

Originally designed in red and white, for this pattern I have opted for the ever charming green and pink based palette to prevent confusion. So much red and white is difficult to work with in patterns. Of course, the design lends itself to many colour variations, and I might still re-colour it in red and white just to satisfy my love for that pallette :)

Wednesday, 24 August 2016

This week I've been drafting up the adjustments made on the calico wedding dress. I've also been visiting fabric shops looking for just the right texture and thickness of dress material. My DD works full time so she isn't able to come with me on these searches. I actually think this may be a good thing - too many options can create confusion and I know what I'm looking for :)

I've also started my DHs novelty quilt fabric shirt just for fun (and seriously considering making my own so we can look like the perfectly odd couple when we go out for coffee), have finished my detailed sketch for the next Free BOM and have found 3 more patterns ready for release. What is it they say about asking a busy person to get stuff done? I'm flat out!

Tuesday, 23 August 2016

This month it's time to focus on the flowers of the third corner vase. By the time I got to vase three I was a bit tired physically from the manual labor of all that hand sewing - but also newly excited. Each new vase is a new possibility of fabric, embellishments and fabric combinations. Yes, I wanted to to look harmonious, but I was also interested in the idea of introducing something new.

What I ended up injecting in vases 3 was romance. Today, as I type up this post I am making my own DDs wedding dress and it all feels like a nice circle of romance because I used a scrap of wedding dress lace for both vases 3 and 4 (above) and this little detail really made an impact.

This quilt is so emotional in that way. It's so intense and busy that you have every possibility to make every little detail special in it's own way. Today I would set aside lace from my own DDs dress, but I guess that will have to wait for another quilt. Fittingly, the lace I found for vases 3 and 4 had belonged to an unknown woman and the polka dolt lace was older than I am - I just loved the feeling of bringing in another unknown element into this quilt and giving life to a scrap of fabric which had once been worn as a wedding dress by an unknown woman over 70 years ago.

Isn't that just the nicest kind of detail? How will you make vase 3 your own?

'Month by Month' is all about sharing the original Love Entwined experience with new makers. On the first Friday of each month (or thereabouts) I'll be re-visiting the blog posts that detailed my ideas, tips and techniques which cover how I went about making each part of the coverlet as well as listing a post archive for new members to browse and read up on.

Love Entwined is a historic heirloom applique quilt now available as a monthly BOM. You can take part in Love Entwined as a monthly BOM for $9.95 USD per month. You can start any time. Visit my online pattern shop for more info by clicking here and whether you're starting out on a new LE journey or picking up where you left off, be sure to join the Love Entwined Quilt BOM Group.

Wednesday, 17 August 2016

I completed the wedding dress mock up in calico last week and on Saturday I started custom pinning it to my DD as you can see here. The adjustments mean I am going to have to re-align seams in the pleat and all that kind of business. I'll blog more about this process just as soon as I'm over this sewing hurdle. There's a lot to adjust to get the fit adequately tight to hold up the skirt. Today I'm awaiting for the imported lace to arrive by courier so we can move past the lace curtains stage.

It's an exciting time in my household and I'm really enjoying each stitch.

Tuesday, 16 August 2016

It's a fussy business all this wedding dress designing. So many options and ideas -how exactly is a bride to be supposed to narrow it down? I was wondering how my DD was ever going to choose her dress as, after trying on an endless variety, none of them were exactly what she wanted. She's a bit like dresses the way I am with fabric - indecisive. And then the remarkable happened. My other DD found a dress she thought would perfectly suit her..on Pinterest... and our bride to be fell instantly in love with it. Yes, it was 'the one'. And here it is:

Isn't it gorgeous? What I find so incredible is that the minute either of us set eyes on it, we just knew it was the one for her. It's just 'her' if you know what I mean. I couldn't think of a more perfect dress. And she agreed. Phew! So naturally I just assumed she would track down the Pinterest link and find the bridal shop wherever it was in this connected internationally tracked world and provide her measurements and have it made. I mean, why not?

China is why not.

After months of searching, google image tracking and endless web dead ends, it became clear that this image is stolen and is being used to proxy sell dresses for those horrible Chinese factory sweat shop sites. And I'm sad about it. For one thing, it's a beautiful dress and I would like to acknowledge the bridal shop or label that produced it. For another thing, it has been a painstaking drama tracking down the exact same lace (more on that drama in another post). So much effort and wasted time.

You'll find sweatshops all over eBay and google offering this dress. But of course, like all the dresses in their gallery, the images are stolen and being used to trick unsuspecting women into sales. There are currently 18 sites online using this exact image to sell a dress they don't have. I can only imagine what arrives in the post for people who buy it.

So with no possibility of buying this exact dress, it was decided that I would make a custom replica. I have had no desire to personally fashion a wedding dress design, I simply want to create the dress my DD wants. It's actually an easy dress to make with the most amount of work on creating an exact fit bodice (as the lace has zero stretch). This is usually overcome with appliqueing the lace motifs on a sheer stretch skin tone or transparent fabric. But for this look, that isn't possible. It will have to be all lace and all perfectly fitted.

Something I heard in the bridal shops whilst I was viewing fittings was the amount of women who believed that the dresses they were trying on were extraordinarily complicated patterns. Actually, an intermediate seamstress or home sewing hobbyist with confidence in adjusting and fitting bodices would have no trouble making many of the garments. My thoughts on dress patterns are established from a career working in fashion design and industrial pattern making - all the master shapes being used are much like traditional quilting blocks - no one owns them and all design software has every pattern shape required to produce any of the dresses on display. The idea of custom patterns is really a marketing ploy. The patterns are based on very similar models that are tweaked and adjusted. The real expertise and expense comes from the quality of fabrics, laces and handling of them.

So back to the dress. It's a beautiful bodice that falls into a full formal pleated skirt. It appears that the bodice and skirt have been made separately and joined in these images although it would be possible to create the whole dress in complete lengths rather than splitting the dress in the middle. Given that the lace is overlaid with lace at the seams, this isn't so important although that middle seam is a pet peeve for me and I would have simply had to double my work eliminating it! Luckily for me, this won't be necessary.

The pattern I started with was Butterick Pattern B5731 which is a copy of Kate Middleton's famous dress. The base body has a lovely shape that can be used to suit numerous formal styles. I saw a copy of that dress in a bridal shop and I can tell you that this pattern is better than some of the versions out there for sale, so if you are after this style of dress, the pattern exists and there's no reason why you can't make it yourself. In fact Craftsy even have an online class on corset making which covers everything you need to know about creating the bodice, so don't be daunted. If you have the time and passion - you can.

In my previous post about constructing this pattern, I complained about the thin sheets it came printed on - a total nightmare to work with. But the pattern itself is just fine and the shape is lovely. In fact the pleated skirt is just what I want. We're even playing around with the idea of a V neck and will see how it looks in person when mocked up.

We are also flirting with the idea of going all lace all over or changing the skirt to a fluffy one, and I'm open and ready to create anything. As soon as the mock up is completed, the actual details will be steered by the fabrics and their qualities - the stiffness, the fall, the contrast of lace against different textures. All those details will come into play. Personally, I'm entirely confident that the first original dress will triumph and steal and show.

Monday, 15 August 2016

This month the champagne is flowing, the table is laden and everyone is waiting for the silver stand to appear with the Celebration Cake. Be it birthday, anniversary, wedding or just a gathering, every collection of cakes need that extra special something and this month we’re making it! Of course, whether you opt for the birdy couple or replace them with candles or other embellishments, the cake can go into style you desire. And now is the time to showcase that spectacular scrap of fabric you’re dying to show in just the right spot or the super cute chocolate print fabric from your stash.

Now, I have drawn applique shapes in the pattern which I imagined myself drawing directly onto fabric scraps and coloring in with permanent markers or my new fabric crayons and a thin brush...but then I remembered a gorgeous print I picked up years ago, I just knew it would come in handy one day. I think we all have a fabric in the stash like that, don't we?

Like this one:

Did someone say chocolate? I've been waiting to use this fabric for years and now I finally have the perfect project! If you have any scraps like this, now is the time to dust them off.

And don't they look great beneath my cake?

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the top with my birdy couple. I just love birds, they're so cute. I auditioned a few print fabrics for the body and wings before settling on this:

and drew in the little eyes. I will add a tiny bead later when I can find my bead stash

Now for the cake itself. I had a lovely scrap pale yellow fabric and planned on painting the decorative loops with a very fine brush and my new fabric crayons that I am itching to try out and show off...but it was not to be! My stash got the better of me and I dug out this scrap of sheer lace instead. I just love it for my cake collection.

Here's my 'worksheet' of applique pieces which I've prepped, numbered and placed on top of a light box for easy placement.

And that's it for this month. I can't wait to see how you make the Celebration Cake all your own!

Understanding the pattern release schedule: anyone can join Sweet 2016 at any time and when they do, they will receive a new block each month from that point onward. The day they receive each new block will depend on the date they signed up and made their first payment. Everyone who starts Sweet 2016, starts at the beginning, Part 1. Specific blocks cannot be purchased out of turn. Whenever you choose to start this BOM, be sure to keep us updated on your progress by sharing your work over in our Sweet 2016 BOM Facebook Group, see you there!

Saturday, 13 August 2016

I designed Gracie for a wall in my kitchen; I just love the centre vase and surrounding tulips and the design is a stylistic nod to all those pieces if beautiful chinaware I have in the cupboards. With Gracie, I wanted to enjoy the best bits on a feature wall and I wanted to keep it simple rather than intricate. In Gracie I can see my love for applique combined in a modern feeling, almost but not quite folksy arrangement.

Of course, I never tire of tulips. As a design motif they represent love and devotion and with all the varieties of tulip out there, it’s a wonderful opportunity to let loose with beautiful fabrics. From the bright and modern to subtle and classic, Gracie just works. In fact, I haven’t yet decide what scheme to settle on myself (nothing new there).

Originally I envisioned a blue and white return to Delft theme, but the design took over and took matters into it’s own hands. Rather than a follow on from my Oma’s Blues as originally intended, Gracie has taken on a style and attitude all of her own.

Here are just a few colour schemes I am head over heels in love with. I really can't decide between them, what do you think? Which is your favorite?

Hopelessly pink and green? I am so in love with this colour way..

But there's no denying the allure of greys. What about this chambray grey and hot pink?

Or grey with soft pink?

then again, how can I pass up pink and blue?

Speaking of blues, what about a striking double print of blues and reds?

I could just colour way all day - but I won't, I don't have the time right now as I'm on wedding dress duty. But, I just had to come on and share this gorgeous pattern. I always love releasing my designs, they're all so special to me and I love making them available to everyone.

Wednesday, 10 August 2016

Today I'm sewing up the bodice part of the wedding dress pattern. I've had a good look at the Butterick pattern my DD chose and after some hassle with the super thin paper, I'm happy to report that the pattern itself is just fine and completely achievable for any intermediate home sewer - which is a nice surprise. Several people have asked me to report back to them on this point and I know what they mean. There are some pattern manufacturers who just make everything needlessly hard to follow, Butterick is not one of those.

Looking at the pieces now and knowing what my DD wants, I'm pretty sure that we won't be using this pattern for the finished dress. However I am prepared to make up the dress according to the pattern to show this to my DD. After that, I'll draft my own pattern and start the real wedding dress work. I don't actually mind making the Butterick one first as I am curious to see what an off the shelf wedding dress looks like straight from the pattern and I always like to warm up with a starter garment. It's been years since I professionally sewed any clothes and I'm out of practice. I never thought I'd be interested in clothes sewing again and have fallen much out of the loop.

Like quilting, new techniques and styles are coming along all the time. As far as quilting is concerned, I have learned so many new tips and techniques which have really cut down on the time it takes to create applique pieces. So I'm sure the same must be true for sewing generally - I just don't know about it as I don't do it anymore. I still follow the old school systems and I'm sure there's already a better way. So to make sure I am sewing as quickly and efficiently as possible, I've purchased a Craftsy class on corset making. Again, I have made many corsets and they're a lot of work. I'm hoping to learn some new quicker methods and will let you know how that goes.

Today, it's back to the Butterick pattern. With the price of lace being what it is, the sample dress is being made with the aid of some old curtains (above) and the dress is being made from cotton muslin. Far from glamorous, but a good start.

Tuesday, 9 August 2016

I'm no stranger to occasion dresses and I've even made several wedding dresses professionally before retiring from fashion. The most memorable was one I made for a ballerina over 20 years ago. The whole experience was so exhausting I promised myself 'never again'. Oh boy, have I changed my tune! I'm now delighted to be making my daughter's wedding dress and am relishing every moment of it. Neither of us planned for me to make the dress, it just became an inevitable choice.

I was more than happy for my DD to simply purchase a dress off the rack that took her fancy, and so was she. I haven't sewn occasion garments for years and I blithely assumed that by 2016, the range and availability of dress styles would be so encompassing and competitive that any woman could find what she was after. Not so! Those purveyors of all things bridal exist in a magical dimension like none other. I've visited too many to count in the last 6 months and I can confidently tell you, I don't ever want to step foot in another.

Luckily, my DD never did find 'The One' as the bridal shops like to refer to it in hushed tones, but the one that came closest rang in at $18,000, the next one along rang in at 11,000 and the other two contenders were both over 10,000: all ridiculous, over inflated, emotionally manipulative price tags for a mere dress.

So, to the cutting table I go. The creative challenge has commenced and I'm happy and excited to share the journey right here on my blog. I have asked my DD for permission to share her wedding dress journey here on my blog and she has happily agreed. Of course, blogging it is a great memory for me of the whole dress experience but there's another reason too. I want to encourage home sewers to think seriously about their ability to sew the wedding dress of their dreams. Yes, I'm serious. Don't be daunted. It's completely possible and in the weeks ahead I'll be showing you how.

If you want to follow my wedding dress progress, stay tuned as I will be blogging the whole thing here. The wedding is just over a month away so it will be coming together quickly in the coming weeks. And of course, there's a Pinterest board dedicated to what I'm doing.

Saturday, 6 August 2016

I don't like updating my patterns: once they're released, they take on a life of their own and I'm ready to move onto the next project. Maybe you know the feeling? I love the sense of accomplishment that comes from packing away my design folio each time I release a pattern. But with Nelke, I couldn't stop myself fiddling! For one thing, every time I looked at my little bird, he seemed lonely. I couldn't stand it!

So I made him a friend for company...

Nearly...

Auditioning..

Yes, that's better :)

And then there's the newly added corner bows. My heart's still all a flutter over Love Entwined, so any opportunity to introduce those gorgeous LE double bows on new quilt projects is welcome. And on Nelke, they slotted in like they should have always been there - which they should have! I love them!

And then there's the border blocks which were confusing the first time around - I've sorted that out too.

Wednesday, 3 August 2016

Talk about overdue WIPs, my goodness, Nelke has been waiting in the wings far too long for her pattern update, so today, that's my focus. I have lots to do, but feel I can't move on until all these little projects are sorted out. I'm on a real mission this month as my wedding dress duties are becoming pressing, so after today's WOW it will all be about 'The Dress'.

Welcome to My Blog

Hello, I'm Esther: a textile artist & quilter. This blog is where I share my original Free BOMs, work on projects, talk quilts and experiment with new techniques.

Find my Quilt Archives at the top of this page (and don't forget to add your own linky if you've made any of my quilts yourself) or leave a comment on the Quilt Archive Page and let us know what corner of the world you're in, it's always so nice to see how widespread our Group is!

Each Wednesday you're invited to take part in my Weekly WOWs linky party as bloggers around the world drop in to share their stash busting efforts.

And don't forget to join my BOM Groupwhere you can become a member and take part in my BOMs for free.

I'm so glad you're here

Visit my website

Visit My Online Shop

Instant Digital Downloads

Wednesdays are WOW days Linky Party

Join us each Wednesday as we share our WIPs, talk techniques and inspiration. If you don't have a blog, share your own WOW by leaving a comment each Wednesday.

Elmer's Disappearing Purple Glue

Here it is - my daily essential applique glue everyone always asks me about. I always buy it in the 6gram smaller size as it's easier to use in applique. I used to think this glue was 'starch' and have since been corrected on that point - but it's still my staple. It's effective yet washes away like a dream and doesn't gum up my machine when sewing.

2017 Mainly Applique Mystery BOM

Just Finished! Download NOW! My Free 2017 Block Of The Month!

It's the FINAL month of my Free BOM 2017. Diamond Hill will run Jan - July 2017 and the finished size is 72 x 72 inches. This is a Free BOM and you can download the pattern over in my BOM Quilt Group on Facebook or right here on my blog, on the 15th of each month. CLICK THIS IMAGE to go to the Diamond Hill ARCHIVE.

Have You Joined Yet?

This is the place to download current free BOM patterns, chat with others and share your ideas, tips and pics as you make any of my quilts! My Free BOM Quilt Group is located over on Facebook, click the image to apply to join. Membership is free. Click this image to join.

Start a New BOM Today!

These quilts are perpetual BOMs - you can start any time, and receive your blocks via email each month.

Sweet 2016 Wall Hanging BOM

This gorgeous quilt is ready and waiting for you to make a start! Click the image to read more about Sweet 2016!

Oma's Blues

Finished Size: 76 x 76 inches

Creative Bloggers Directory

Add your blog for free, connect with other creative people online and find exciting new blogs

Looking for one of my quilts?

Love Entwined:1790 Marriage Coverlet

Make it month by month via subscription or purchase the pattern outright. Finished Size: 96 x 96 inches.CLICK THIS IMAGE to go to the Love Entwinedl ARCHIVE.

Thursday Flowers

Red December

Finished Size: 74 x 74 inches. CLICK THIS IMAGE to go to the Red December ARCHIVE.

12 Days of Christmas

Finished Size: 42 x 51 inches. CLICK THIS IMAGE to go to the 12 Days of Christmas ARCHIVE.

Glad Tidings

A bed quilt, Throw Quilt and Table Runner

Get Together & Quilt!

Reading, Sharing & Enjoying...

These are the books I love, rely on and know to be worth their space on my shelf.

I am currently downsizing but these books are my 'essentials' and will stay with me forever. I'm often asked which books I recommend for applique and quilting (and knitting) and I know I've scribbled titles down for people whenever I am out and about, so I'm really happy to share my bookshelf titles here.

I buy a lot of my books at the Book Depository and have done for the last 5 years, I definitely recommend them as a bookseller.

'Simply Successful Applique' by Jeanne Sullivan

This is a book I am always recommending - in my opinion its the only applique book a quilter needs. I've also had the pleasure of getting to know Jean online and she is as generous and thoughtful as this book is thorough and engaging. If you don't already own this title, why ever not?!

'QuiltMaking by Hand' by Jinny Beyer

I must have recommended this book at least 100 times in the last 10 years, it's an essential read for all quilters